


travelling woman

by kimaracretak



Series: and there the black and white will end [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, First Meetings, Foreshadowing, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-04-25 03:06:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14369550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimaracretak/pseuds/kimaracretak
Summary: In which Keyleth, hardly a week into her Aramente, meets a fellow traveler on the road, and they come to an agreement.





	travelling woman

**Author's Note:**

> for the femslashficlet's language of flowers prompt table #7: [dahlia](http://www.flowermeaning.com/dahlia-flower-meaning/) ( _blue_ , for fresh starts and big changes; _black_ , a warning of betrayal)

Keyleth wakes in a bed of flowers, blinking blue and black petals out of her eyes and feeling as if every bone in her body aches.

Probably, she thinks, staring ruefully up at the remnants of her rope hammock in the tree above, every bone _does_ hurt.

"Good," a voice next to her says, before she can take further stock of her injuries. "I was beginning to wonder if you would wake. I owe you an apology"

Keyleth turns her head ( _ow_ ) and blinks ( _also_ ow?) and takes in the green-haired elven woman sitting at her side. She is, quite possibly, the most beautiful woman Keyleth has ever laid eyes on. "It's ... fine," she mutters, grabbing her throbbing wrist and casting Healing Word under her breath. "I just..."

Just _what_? Fell out of the tree, obviously, but ... oh. Right. Fell out of the tree because the woman had startled her, because, as her father was fond of saying, her cleverness in getting up trees was never met by her grace in getting down from them.

"Ohhhh," Keyleth says slowly as she sits up carefully, picking flower petals out of her hair. "You — I — Sorry. I'm Keyleth. I'm bad at introductions." She belatedly offers the woman her hand.

The woman smiles. "Raishan." Her hand is soft in Keyleth's own, but Keyleth can't help but notice the dirt under her nails, and her mind spins with possibilities. Another druid? A travelling companion? A friend? A — "I shouldn't have startled you like that," the woman continues, before Keyleth can follow that line of thought any further.

"It's fine," Keyleth laughs. "I mean, I can heal things. And I didn't fall very far. And honestly it was probably only a matter of time before I fell anyway, so, you know..." She trails off, suddenly aware that she's babbling. And she hasn't released Raishan's hand. But Raishan hasn't taken her hand back, either, so maybe that's okay actually.

Keyleth really hopes that's okay.

"Admitting such weakness to someone you've just met?" There's a lilt in Raishan's voice like maybe she's teasing, but Keyleth can't read the spark in her eye.

Keyleth blushes, and returns her gaze to Raishan's hands. The hand that's still holding hers. "I think it's only a weakness if you're going to start pushing me out of trees for fun."

Raishan's silent for such a long moment that Keyleth bites her lip, wondering if she just said something awfully wrong. She's supposed to be learning how to lead, she thinks in dismay, and how will she ever manage if she's just insulted the first person she's met since leaving Zephra.

But then Raishan laughs, a genuine full-bodied laugh that sets Keyleth giggling as well, and says, "That sounds like an offer for me to stick around, Princess."

For a moment Keyleth's breath catches, but, no Raishan couldn't possibly know who she is. There'll be time for that later. She looks up, grinning. "Well, two is safer on the road than one. So, if you like...?"

Raishan leans over, and with her free hand plucks one of the black blooms and tucks it behind Keyleth's ear. "I would like nothing more."

Keyleth grins, lifts herself to her feet and pulls Raishan with her. "Well then," she says, "where are we off to next?" 


End file.
